Committing to a healthy lifestyle is often seen and labelled as difficult or sometimes, quite frankly, impossible. Most people find it easier to live healthily at home, but this is often more difficult and cumbersome when travelling. That’s why I’ve decided to share the 10 healthy travel hacks that I always use to maintain a healthy lifestyle while travelling.
Travelling and vacations are often associated with relaxing and resting and that often means treating yourself more and ‘letting go’. Depending on your trip type, it is also hard to predict what equipment you may have access to or what your surroundings might look like.
Living a healthy lifestyle when travelling isn’t difficult though when you know how. Want some quick healthy travel hacks that you can implement into your travels now to make them enriched and memorable? Here are my favourite 10, which will hopefully, help you out as much as they do me.
Do your research
Probably the number one hack that travellers have found the most useful. Knowledge is everything when it comes to staying on track with your health goals while travelling. Research your destination from an accommodation, food and fitness point of view so you can plan ahead. Does your accommodation have a small kitchen to prepare light meals and is it big enough for a bodyweight workout? Apps such as TripAdvisor, Google and HappyCow (for veggies and vegans) also help you to see what healthy eating options are nearby and you can plan where to eat. No healthy eating options? Opt for an Airbnb with a kitchen so that you can make your own meals instead.
Stay active
Try to stay active as much as possible. This is easier than you think when travelling because every kind of movement counts. Walking and sightseeing, cycling around a city, swimming in the sea in between bouts of sunbathing, 20-minute bodyweight workouts in the morning. The list goes on. When travelling your options for exercise and movement become endless. Use the natural environment you are in, to your advantage.
Use a measurable, re-usable water bottle
Not only is this crucial for minimalizing plastic bottle use, but a measurable water bottle also helps with staying hydrated. A 500ml, 750ml or even a litre bottle will tell you exactly how much you’ve drunk that day.
Get your snack on
Sometimes, when travelling, the reality is that you just don’t know when your next meal will be. The last thing you want to do is starve and shut-down your metabolism. Have healthy snacks in your bag ready for these unexpected situations. My favourite snacks include fruit and nut bars, dried fruit, nuts and bananas. These are also snacks that are available no matter what country you are in.
Take it easy on the alcohol
There is nothing wrong with consuming alcohol but going out and drinking 2 bottles of wine to yourself just isn’t going to do you any favours. Alternate water or soft drinks with alcoholic ones and have a large glass of water before bed.
Eat from a smaller plate
In situations where you have to serve yourself, opting for a smaller or ‘standard’ size plate will decrease your portion size while still giving you the sensation of having a full plate of food and not restricting yourself. In my experience, some hotels and restaurants provide larger-than-life plates making it very easy to eat too much than what your body actually needs. This is a sneaky mind-game I’ve learned over the years and helps to stop over-eating.
Want to make some other changes to your travelling style? Check out my Travel and Wellness: Basics Revisited here for more.
Sneak in your greens
Noticed that you haven’t eaten anything green in a while? There is no doubt that greens are some of the most nutrient-dense foods. Next time, treat your body and go for something a little more green. If you’re self-catering sneak in some kale/spinach into the next dish you make.
Travel with people with the same lifestyle goals as you
It’s a lot more motivating to travel with like-minded people and friends with the same perspectives on a healthy lifestyle to you. You can workout together and support each other to live better lifestyles and make better choices. I mean, who doesn’t like a workout buddy?
Ask about portion sizes before you order
When you’re not in your home country it’s difficult to judge the standard restaurant portion sizes, making it easy to over-order, overeat and waste food. Managing portions when eating in restaurants all the time is difficult too. When ordering, ask the waiter about the size of the portions. If it sounds too big, split it with a friend, eat half and get the rest to go or just ask for a smaller portion.
Choose studio apartments/suites over hotel rooms
Having access to a small stove, kettle and sometimes even a blender will not only help to save money but it gives you control over what you make and as a result, has a fantastic effect on living a healthier lifestyle when travelling. With just the essential equipment you can prepare fresh breakfast smoothies, salad bowls, cut and serve fresh fruit and even make your own tea and coffee. Having your own kitchen is a real game changer.
Do you swear by some hacks that I haven’t mentioned? I’d love to know what they are! Let me know below.
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